Pretending
by Goldenbrook15
Summary: He can make the fire move, but he can not move the fire. He can make himself smile and he can live among them, but he knows this will never be his home.
1. Air

**Disclaimer – I do not own Avatar: the last Airbender.**

**This is a story that I had just sitting on my computer for a while and I thought that I might as well post it. **

**There will not be regular updates as this is not the main story that I am working on. **

**Thank you for the support. **

_Summary: He can _make_ the fire move, but he can not _move_ the fire. He can make himself smile and he can live among them, but he knows this will never be his home._

**Pretending**

**Chapter 1**

**_Air_**

Fire is the superior element. It is the greatest and most powerful of them all, the only one worthy to rule.

And yet, no matter how much he tried, Zuko could not do it. He could not create fire.

Anger coursed through Zuko as, for the twentieth time, he punched forward, copying the fire bending form exactly. And, once again, he failed to produce any of the glowing tongues of flames that the other firebenders could. It was a simple move, usually taught to young children when the first show signs of fire.

Punch and send your Chi through your fist. If you are a firebender, you'll get flames, if your not, then you don't. Simple.

This simple fact is why Zuko feels like his stomach is filled with ice. He can see his tutors shaking their heads every time that he tries and fails, over and over again. Their encouraging words are empty and if it wasn't for the fact that he was the Fire Lord's grandson they would have already said that he was not a bender.

The Fire Lord's line, however, did not produce non-benders, it was unacceptable.

So he kept trying. Day after day, month after month Zuko practiced. His forms were perfect, he was light on his feet, his eyes blazed with just the right amount of anger. The only thing missing . . . was the fire. And so, day after day, when he turned to his tutors and saw the accusation in their eyes he paid no attention to them. They did not matter to him, and their disappointment only meant another day that his father sneered at him.

Everything changed, though, when Zuko turned seven. Azula, his four year old sister, had already proven that she was a Fire Nation prodigy, and Zuko could see that their father favored her more than him.

It was late at night, when most of the castle had gone to bed, that it happened. Like every other night, Zuko had grown frustrated with his lack of bending and with a growl of defeat he sat down on the floor and curled his knees to his chest. Slowly tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and he did not try to hold them back.

_Why can't I do it? What is so different about me? Am I really weak, like father says?_

The thoughts left a heavy weight on him. If he could not bend . . . then it was likely that he would never live to see his eighteenth birthday. His father could be ruthless when he wanted to be, and with Zuko he had no time to waist. His father would rather kill the weakling then let disgrace fall upon him.

Zuko shivered slightly, holding back the sobs in his throat, as he tried to clear his mind. Maybe if he meditated he could figure out what was wrong with him. Uncle Iroh was always meditating and he was one of the most powerful firebenders in their day.

Eyes closed, Zuko evened out his breathing. He forced the depressing thoughts from his head and focused on everything around him. Slowly, he became aware of a faint buzzing as he sank deeper into meditation. He could almost _feel _something around him, like a blanket but thicker.

Without really thinking about it he reached out mentally and _grabbed_ what ever it was. To his surprise, what ever it was _moved_, and Zuko's eyes few open as he lost concentration. Whatever it was receded again, but now that he was aware of it he could still _feel _it. It was just like the instructors said fire should feel.

But, instinctively, he knew that this was not fire.

Zuko's heartbeat quickened as it danced around him, but he knew that no matter how good it felt to be connected with it he could not use it. It was not fire and his father would accept nothing less than above perfect from a prince. He was about to let it go again when he suddenly felt something different. Something was _in_ it. It was warm and ferocious and it _ate_.

Zuko spun around and his eyes landed on the candle on his bedside table, where it was coming from, and suddenly he knows.

It is not fire that he is feeling.

It's air.

0~o~0

Zuko sucked in a deep breath and spun, kicking his leg out in an imitation of a Fire Kick. He is unsurprised when it does not work. His element it air, though he will never be able to tell anyone, else he be killed. Sadly, it was better to be a non-bender than an airbender.

There were no airbenders left, and it was because the Fire Nation had destroyed them.

He knew that his tutor was behind him, silently observing but not saying any thing. Zuko closed his eyes and preformed several more forms, perfectly and fluidly, but still missing the key element that he knew would never be there for him.

Suddenly he felt something speeding towards him, and he recognizes it immediately. Fire.

Zuko spun around, his eyes flying open as he registered the large fireball accelerating toward his face. It was too large to dodge from such a close distance and his breath lodged in his throat, horror filling him. If he did not reflect it, he would be burned.

Instinctively, he reached out to the air around him and searched through it until he reached the hole where the flame is. The fire _eats_ the air as it moved and everything seemed to slow down for Zuko as the bright ball got closer. He felt something flow through him and clapped his hands in front of him. The air obeyed and like a blade cut the air in half, directing it to either side of him. The flames fed on the air, depleting it, but he just added more, keeping it in place as he searched for the one who attacked him, an angry reprimand on his lips and ready to send the fireballs back at whoever made them.

The words died on his tongue when he found them.

His father regarded him with cold indifference, looking down at him with an upturned nose.

"So you are a firebender after all," his fathers eyes are sharp, demanding, "Don't disappoint me again."

Zuko watched as his father left, not taking his eyes from the retreating form until it had disappeared from sight. His stomach rolled and he felt sick as he realized what had just happened.

His own father had tried to kill him, and he would have succeeded.

Zuko knew that he was not a firebender, he had known it for a while now. Fire was not his to command. He could _make_ the fire move, but he could not _move_ the fire.

The two fireballs died out as Zuko stopped feeding them, and he felt his heart sink.

He was not a true firebender, but he could _fake it._

His life depended on it.

Hidden in his rooms Zuko concentrated. He had to do better. Now that his father thought that he was a firebender he had to show improvement.

He has to be about to create fire. Not just move it.

Zuko closed his eyes and silently searched for imperfections in the air, something that might help him. They are there, but too tiny to see with his eyes. They feel like fire, but they do not eat like fire does.

Desperately he reached out and mentally grasped those particles. Concentrating, Zuko hit all of them together with great force, and there was a spark. It was not big enough for anyone else to see, but it was there. He fed the spark until it grew into a small flame.

Relieved, he smiled.

0~o~0

_"Never forget who you are."_

He was Prince Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation. He was the older brother of Azula, the prodigy. He was the only son of Fire Lord Ozai and the vanished Princess Ursa.

He was a liar.

Zuko knew that he was not a firebender. He could act like one, he could seem to bend like one, but he knew without a doubt that he was not one. He feared the day they would discover his secret, what he really is. His fire was always too weak or too strong. If it was too strong then he can not keep it contained and it went out of control, something most firebenders would never do unless they were extremely angry.

It was better to be seen as a weak bender then to be thought of as dangerous, though.

His mother had loved him. She had been the only one besides his uncle who had ever believed in him, but he never told her his secret. He would never be able to.

She was gone.

0~o~0

The darkly dressed figure was nearly impossible to see against the shadows of the night. His hair blew back from his face and his golden eyes watched as the night guards changed below him. Zuko knew that they would never look up, they never did.

Zuko closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the freshness of the air from so high up. He leaned into the wind, one hand gripping the pole that jutted out from the tallest part of the roof to keep himself from slipping. This was one of the only paces that he could go to be alone, and to feel safe.

No one else ever dared to come up there. It was too steep, too dangerous, and too windy. If anyone else were to clime up, they would die.

If they were anyone but him they would fall to their deaths. The wind embraced him, though. It helped him balance, kept him from falling. It laughed with him. It was playful. It was his element, and it was only when he was here, in the air, that he felt safe.

He was an airbender, after all.

And if anyone found out he would be dead.

So he had continued to play firebender, improving his improvised airbending as he went. His acting improved as well, and not even Azula could tell what he was thinking now. He smiled when he was among other firebenders, he lived among then. They never suspected anything other then that he was a weak bender.

He went to their festivities, wore their masks. He practiced firebending like any other child with the ability.

But in secret, when no one was there to watch, at the darkest part of the night, perched above the palace like a black bird of prey, be practiced another kind of bending. The art of air was hard to learn with no master to teach him. What he learned was on accident and from experimenting with what he had.

His Dual Dao swords were another development that had come after his mother had disappeared. His father had sent him away for a while to learn how to use a sword from the sword master Piandao. Though Zuko had no doubt his father had hidden motives for letting his son leave for several months it was still advantageous as it would help him survive if he was ever forced to leave. He had also learned how to channel his bending along the blades to send out powerful bursts of air. It was a surprise attack that not many would suspect.

It was in the sky that he felt at home, though. He wore a mask to hide his identity, so that even if he was seen by one of the many guards, they would not know who he was.

He could walk among the people of Fire, talk with them, and live in their homes of metal and wood.

But he would _never_ be one of them.

0~o~0

_"You shall learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher,"_

He was banished. They didn't want him. His _father_ didn't want him.

His own father had burned him.

He didn't belong. He had never belonged. He knew that he should have left years ago. It had been a futile attempt to try and gain acceptance from his remaining family. There was nothing left for him here.

Tears slipped down Zuko's one good eye as he gathered his things with shaky hands. His other eye was bandaged tightly where the burn was, and he was worried that he might never regain his full sight in that eye.

The healers had not come to check on him yet, but he already knew what they were going to say. His father had never liked him and this was the perfect opportunity for him to get rid of his unwanted son. No matter what, he did not want to hear it from someone else's mouths.

In the dead of night, dressed all in black with a blue mask over his face, Zuko slipped into the nigh, two swords strapped over his back and pack of belongings hanging from his shoulder. His steps were silent as a ghost and no one noticed him leaving. He made it all the way to the docks without being seen and hid on a ship bound for an Earth Kingdom trading post. Nothing stirred in the palace after he left. No one would know of his departure until the sun rose the next morning.

When his uncle came to get him after securing a ship for them to use, he would find his nephew's room empty and his most treasured possessions gone, just like the boy himself, had vanished.

0~o~0

**Thank you for reading. **

**Please review**


	2. Earth Kingdom

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

**Hope you like the chapter. If there are any mistakes I would appreciate it if you told me. I looked over it several times but I can't catch everything. **

_Summary:_

_ He can _make_ the fire move, but he can not _move_ the fire. He can make himself smile and he can live among them, but he knows this will never be his home._

**Pretending**

**Chapter 2**

**_Earth_** **_Kingdom_**

Zuko knew that the Earth Kingdom would be different, but he had not expected this. The war had torn the people apart. Criminals roamed the streets day and night, picking on those that could not protect themselves. Whole families were forced from their homes and onto the streets.

It sickened him to think that the Fire Nation had caused this, that they had been so heartless. Sadly, he knew how firebenders were, and he knew that most of them _would _do this, and they would do it without thought. There were very few of those that could bend fire out there who disagreed with the Fire Nation, and they often had to go into hiding from their own country because of it.

His uncle had been the one exception. Zuko could tell that Iroh did not agree with his brother, but the slightly crazy, tea loving fool that he pretended to be made most people underestimate him and not take him seriously. That and Ozai could not just kill off his own brother without the people questioning why.

Zuko had never been fond of his father, and seeing the damage of the war that he was causing only cemented his dislike. The Fire Nation clamed that they were spreading their wealth and prosperity to the other nations, but he could see that it was a lie meant for those who had never been to the Earth Kingdom themselves.

The first night on Earth Kingdom soil, Zuko kept his head down and slept out of sight. As the weeks passed and he traveled further inland he began to notice things that he had never noticed before. Many times he was attacked, mistaken for a young naïve boy who had gotten lost. Needless to say, he left his attackers with a fear of seemingly harmless children.

One such incident happened in a small fishing village near the south. Just like every other town that he had passed the people were weary of strangers and paid him no thought. As long had he did not bother them, they would not bother him. He had worked for a few coins in the previous town and had enough to stay the night in a small in.

Of course, his luck decided to make another appearance in the form of four thugs who had seen his coin purse when he had paid for some food that he would need for the road. They had followed him into an alley where they would for the rest of their life fear children with golden eyes.

Zuko came to a dead end, and turned around to face the for large Earth Kingdom men who were sneering at him, clutching their crudely made clubs. He had kept his head bowed while in the town, knowing that his golden eyes were a sign of the Fire Nation. Now, though, he figured it might give him an advantage.

"Hello, little boy," the leader of the thugs sneered at Zuko, his eyes glinting, "care to share some of your coin? If you do we will let you live."

Zuko snorted. Did these men really think that he was a frightened kid? That voice had never worked on him and it never would. Neither would the threats. His father was scarier then all of them put together plus an army more. Their rugged appearance didn't help their case, though it probably would frighten someone else into submission.

"Who are you?" Zuko asked mildly, buying for time as he examined his surroundings. His stance was relaxed, and to the thugs he looked completely uncaring.

The leader scowled, slightly taken aback. No doubt most of their victims didn't even fight back. "What is it to you, shrimp? Just give us the money and we'll be on our way," he took a threatening step forward, but Zuko did not even flinch.

"Hmm," Zuko tapped his chin with one finger, his golden eyes glinting underneath his hat though they could not see them, "How about . . . no."

The rest of the thugs stepped forward as well, though Zuko could tell that they were confused by his attitude. He saw two of them reaching for their weapon and with a quick movement he reached over his shoulder and pulled his swords from their sheath. The blade flashed in the dim lighting as it spun, attracting the thugs' attention to them, and he separated the two swords expertly so that one rested in each hand.

"Some fancy tricks won't scare us," the leader said, though Zuko could see the uncertainty in his eyes and heard the slight waver in his voice.

"No, of course not," Zuko said, his lips twitching, and for the first time razed his head and looked the leader in the eyes, "but this might."

The thugs froze for a second as the saw the golden pools that stared at them with such indifference that they knew that whatever creature they had cornered was not human. It was a split second that Zuko took full advantage of. His blades spun and he danced lightly on his feet as he lunged for the first thug.

The men all gave a cry of fright and tried to get out of the way, but Zuko was too fast for them. His feet were barely touching the floor as he slipped among them, leaving cuts on their legs so they could not walk and blocking their weapons without a second glance.

To the thugs it was like they had engaged in war with a whirlwind. It was impossible to predict where the young man would be next. In their panic they nearly hurt each other several times.

Zuko expertly bashed the hilts of his swords into their heads one at a time, knocking them unconscious. When the last of the thugs collapsed Zuko easily put his swords back together and slipped them into their sheath. Uncaringly he tied them up with rope that he found on their persons and left, his head bowed once again so that his eyes could not be seen.

He decided to forgo staying in the town, as the thugs would no doubt be discovered soon and he did not want to be around what that happened.

Hours later when the thugs woke up with pounding head and tied up, they breathed a sigh of relief as they realized that they were alone.

The golden eyed spirit was gone, and they would be content if they never encountered him again.

Cornering little kids in ally ways to take their money? Nope, never doing that again.

0~o~0

They saw him on the streets, wandering around with just a small pack over his shoulder and swords at his back. They thought nothing of him. Lots of people had to carry weapons around for safety now with the Fire Nation at every corner. He looked just like the rest of them, tired, worn, and weary of what else the world would throw at them. He kept his head lowered so that the hat covered most of his face. He never spoke to anyone and left almost as quietly as he appeared.

It was only after they found several robbers tied up with their own rope, a wild look in their eyes and babbling about a warrior boy, that they suspected.

That boy was something more than human.

0~o~0

Zuko pulled his pack over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. His fingers twitched toward his swords as he gazed around him. Having traveled for days through the forest he had not expected to come upon people so soon.

Unmistakably, though, there was the sound of laughter from the other side of a large bolder.

Silently Zuko crept forward, his feet making no noise on the soft ground. He was weary of anyone so far out in the forest, as they could be anyone. He looked around the boulder and his eyes widened as he saw a small camp of firebenders.

Zuko froze for a moment, his eyes wide. He had not encountered Fire Nation troops since leaving the coast and this was a surprise for him.

Unfortunately, things always seemed to go wrong around him and one of the soldiers glanced up and met Zuko's eyes. The soldier gave a sort shout of surprise, alerting the rest of the camp that someone was there.

The soldiers all spun in his direction and Zuko wondered if he should stay and fight them or run. His decision was made for him as he saw recognition in their faces as their eyes landed on his scar. News had spread quickly through the Fire Nation that the crown prince had been banished and then had vanished without a trace. By the end of the first month there was not single Fire Nation person that had not already heard the story.

He did not want word of him being in the Earth Kingdom to get back to his father.

Before he could attack, however, there was a yell from the other side of the clearing and several arrows came down on the soldiers, causing them to cry out in surprise again. The one with an eye patch was hit in the back of the head by something and was knocked out. Zuko could only stare in amazement as a boy with two hooked swords charged out of the bushes and engaged the soldiers with several more children.

One of the soldiers gave a shout of "They're in the trees!" before he was simultaneously knocked to the ground by someone dropping onto their shoulders and turning their helmet so that they could not see.

It came as an even greater surprise to Zuko when the children and teens actually won and all of the Fire Nation soldiers were knocked out.

The boy with the hook swords turned in Zuko's direction and their eyes met for a moment. They were both silent for several secondss before Zuko bowed his head slightly and put his swords back into their sheath.

"You have good fighting form," Zuko said, his eyes never leaving what seemed to be the groups leader as the rest of the children gathered around, "Thank you for the help."

The boy was silent for several moments before he shrugged, "My name is Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters, Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak," Jet gestured to the rest of the children and Zuko forced himself not to smile at the strange names.

Zuko dipped his head again in acknowledgement to each of them, "It is nice to meet you, and again, thank you," it was kind of awkward. He had not had a full conversation with someone that was just an introduction since he had left the Fire Nation. His attempt at trying to stay away from people had also isolated him.

The Freedom Fighters looked at each other and then went on to start taking supplies from the camp. Zuko glanced at them with a razed eyebrow.

"Do you do this often?" Zuko asked mildly, curious despite himself.

Jet, the leader, snorted, "You could say that."

Neither of them moved, and Zuko wondered what the other was thinking. He knew that he had to look strange. His clothing was mostly all black, as it was easier to blend into the forest with dark clothing, and the swords over his back were well cared for, showing that he knew how to used them.

The silence was broken by Jet, "I didn't catch your name."

Zuko shrugged, "And I never said."

For the first time a smile spread across Jet's face, "I like you. Where are ya headed?"

Zuko blinked and frowned at the question. Where was he headed? He had left the Fire Nation because of his father; he had been _forced _to leave. Where was he headed? He had no idea, but he knew that he was searching for somewhere to call home. Shrugging again, Zuko replied, "Don't know. I'm wandering," It was the truth, but not the whole truth. He would never be able to tell the whole truth so long as the Fire Nation was in power.

Jet nodded and slung his swords over his shoulder, "You can stay with us for a little while, if you would like."

Again, Zuko hesitated, unsure if it was a sincere offer or an attempt to get him to reveal more secrets. After several seconds he sighed and nodded. Jet grinned and turned around with a sharp command to the Freedom Fighters.

"Ya coming, Sparks?" Jet called as he and the rest of the teens disappeared into the overgrown, startling Zuko from his thoughts.

_"Sparks?"_ Zuko asked hurrying after them.

Jet patted him on the shoulder as if he were a child, even though they were the same age, "Your eyes, they remind me of sparks, and we have to have something to call you."

Zuko sighed again. Great, he was stuck with a bunch of teenagers who probably didn't even use their real names and ran around attacking Fire Nation camps. One of these days he was really going to get himself killed with the situations that he got himself into.

Of course, the giant community built in the trees was interesting. Not many bothered to ever look _up._

Maybe . . . maybe he could stay. For a while. It was always good to learn new things.

New things could keep you alive at the most unexpected moments.

And Zuko had a _lot _of those.

**0~o~0**

**Thank you for reading. Please, if you have time, Review. **


	3. Airbender?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

**Hope you like the chapter. If there are any mistakes I would appreciate it if you told me. I looked over it several times but I can't catch everything. **

**Sorry about not updating this in so long. I had the outline done but I never got around to writing it and before I knew it the end of school caught up to me, as well as summer, and then the beginning of school (grimace) and I had lost my drive to write . . . any of my stories. It's not just this one but if any of you are worried I'm not going to abandon it, I'm not. **

**Now that is over, on with the story! **

_Summary:_

_ He can _make_ the fire move, but he can not _move_ the fire. He can make himself smile and he can live among them, but he knows this will never be his home._

**Pretending**

**Chapter 3  
**

**_Airbender?_**

It had been almost two weeks since Jet had invited the strange boy into their group. Sparks, as they had started calling him, was quiet but observant. He never once questioned why there were a group of children living in the middle of a forest, _up in the trees,_ and raiding small Fire Nation camps.

To tell the truth Jet's motives had not been as just as they seemed. From the moment that he had seen Spark's features he had known that the boy had Fire Nation blood. For all he knew the boy could be a spy. The only reason he hadn't tried to kill the boy as soon as he realized was because he had seemed just as wary of the soldiers as they were, if not more so.

That and the scar that sheered one side of Spark's face.

It was unusual for a firebender to have a burn caused by fire. Jet was, understandingly, curious.

Sparks hadn't done anything that set him apart from the other children drastically, though, and the others got along with him. His quiet yet slightly curious nature drew many of the younger ones to him begging for stories about the world.

Jet carefully noted that none of the stories Sparks told originated in the Earth Kingdom.

But, no matter his suspicions of the boy, he knew that he would have to trust him, at least for now. The moment that Sparks stepped out of line however . . . Jet would be ready.

Zuko sighed as he watched the camp of kids dash back and forth, frantically preparing for a raid on a recently spotted Fire Nation camp. Unease bubbled under his skin at the thought of attacking people from where he was born, but at the same time his mind traitorously whispered that he had never been one of them in the first place, not really, and he had the scar to prove it.

To the rest of the camp Zuko looked completely unconcerned with the world around him as he leaned against the wall of one of their huts and twirled a stalk of grain between his fingers. His eyes drifted lazily across the others in a slightly curious, but at the same time bored expression.

As this was the first raid he would be helping on Jet had assigned him as the lookout. For many people this would be a demeaning job to end up with but Zuko was relieved. He didn't actually like to fight, no matter what his bloodline said. Watching and observing were his first instinct, waiting until the right moment to strike, much like a serpent or a flacon-hawk.

The soldiers were camped just a mile north of where the children's hideout was located. Zuko wondered what they would do if they knew that a bunch of children were about to attack - and likely succeed – to take their supplies out from under their noses.

"Hey, you coming Sparks?" Jet called as he and the others packed away the last of their weapons.

With a sigh Zuko threw the stalk to the side and followed the other children into the forest. The agile forms of the younger boys and girls wove through the tree tops silently, and he marveled at their skill. They had the advantage of spending most of their lives here, in the treetops, but it was still fascinating to him how they had adapted.

The first time he had seen it he had almost taken them for airbenders with the way that the leaped from tree to tree, but he knew that they weren't. A careful air manipulation had proven that they, unlike he, were not sensitive to the patterns of the wind.

Zuko took another leap, flexing his feet to stay balanced on the branches as the wind spun around him unnoticed by the others around him. Jet gave him a considering look, probably not expecting him to be able to keep up with the rest of them.

"We're here," Jet said, turning from Zuko to address the others in the group around him.

Only about four kids had been brought along with them, but all of them were armed to the teeth and it was clear that they had done this many times before.

"Longshot," Jet barked, glancing at the silent archer, "You're backup. Stay in the trees until we are all down, then come after us once we've taken care of the Fire Soldiers. Smellerbee, you Pipsqueak, and The Duke will come down with me in the first charge. Remember, its better to take them by surprise," his eyes flicked to Zuko who leaned on the trunk of the tree as if he belonged there and didn't look completely out of place in his dark clothing, "Sparks, stay here. If you see anything, give the signal."

Zuko lifted one eyebrow but didn't comment. He was interested to know how the 'Freedom Fighters' were going to take out an entire supply group. He glanced down to the forest floor, nearly twenty feet below their feet, and wondered again how people of the earth could be so comfortable so high up in the air.

Jet set out with the others while Zuko settled down to wait, his eyes lazily following the path for anyone who would come upon the camp from below. Distantly he heard the battle cries from the others and the distinctive clashing of metal on metal for a few minutes before everything went silent.

Zuko's eyes narrowed, though, as his sharp mind picked up something that most others wouldn't have.

There had been too many in the campsite for the Freedom Fighters to have taken them down that fast. The reports had mentioned at least two dozen . . . so why had he only counted six thuds that marked the soldiers taken down?

Too late he realized what was happening as he watched the forest underneath him come to life as firebenders, not just normal soldiers but actual _benders_, slipped from hiding and move toward the campsite where the Freedom Fighters were waiting unprepared for an ambush.

And this was an ambush, he could see now. It was planned to take out the small group who had become a pest, just like they always did. Zuko's hand twitched toward the signal horn even as he realized that he could not blow it. It would be too late to escape by the time that the others knew what was happening.

His only advantage was if he could attack by surprise. The firebenders did not yet know of his involvement.

With a growl he tucked the horn away and pulled out one of his hidden knives, dashing through the trees toward where the others had gone.

He hoped he wasn't too late.

0~o~0

Jet felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle with unease as he ordered the Freedom Fighters to collect the supplies. He had been doing this for a long time but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what was wrong with the situation.

Longshot seemed to be nervous as well, his hand twitching toward his arrows as he looked into the forest around them. Jet frowned and came up beside the archer.

"Do you see something?" he asked softly, not wanting to worry the others.

Longshot hesitated before he shook his head and gestured back to the campsite and the six soldier's bodies behind them. The archer's frown deepened and Jet was sure that the boy's eyes would be filled with apprehension if he could see them.

"It's not what I see, but what I _don't _see," the soft voice startled him for a moment, as Longshot was not one to talk all that much, and then the words settled into his mind.

Jet's eyes went wide as he did a quick count. They had taken out six soldiers, but the report had spoken about many more than that. "No . . .'

Spinning around to shout a warning to the rest of his followers Jet was just in time to see the forestry around them burst into fire as more than a dozen Fire Nation soldiers came into view. Fire held in their hands and eyes ablaze with purpose the firebenders advanced upon their pitifully small group.

The original batch of flames had separated Jet from the rest of the group and he found himself coughing and pulling his shirt over his nose to keep the smoke and heat from his throat and lungs.

"Pipsqueak!" he heard Dukes frantic call over the flames and struggled toward the sound, hopping that they were all right, but found his way blocked by a fallen tree which was still on fire.

Jet was forced to duck away from a flying branch as it fell from one of the burning trees above him, accidentally dropping his swords in the process. He turned back again, trying to find a way out. His eyes fell upon three firebenders, all of whom were smirking as they saw the lone boy in his makeshift armor.

"Look what we have here, boys," the leader of the group sneered, "It looks like we've caught one of those _fighting boys_ that the General was so irritated with.

_Irritated_, Jet thought distractedly as the smoke and heat made him dizzy, _are we so beneath your notice that you think we are merely _irritating_?_

Jet was forced to back up toward the flaming tree as the three advanced toward him. He knew they were after information because he hadn't been killed yet, but that didn't mean that he was going to give it to them. He would not betray the others.

Thankfully, he didn't have to make the choice between the firebenders and the fire behind him as an arrow sailed through the flames and struck the firebender on the left in the shoulder. The man stumbled back with a shout of surprise and pain, though the armor protected him from most of the blow.

Longshot dashed through the flames toward Jet, who hadn't seen the other boy since the fire started. Skillfully he fired off another arrow which the two remaining firebenders dodged. The third bender had retreated to pull the arrow from his wound. His two companions angrily turned to the archer and sent blasts of flames in his direction, which Longshot dodged silently.

Jet was thankful for the other boy's intervention but also disappointed that he could not have taken care of the problem himself. A second firebender went down with a cry as Longshot hit him with another arrow. From the placement of the hit and how much red was seeping from the wound Jet doubted that the man was going to be getting back up any time soon.

The third firebender, seeing both of his companions down, turned and fled back into the flames, a wall of fire closing behind him to block any pursuit. Another inhalation of smoke sent Jet into a coughing fit, but at Longshot's concerned glance waved the other boy off.

"It's nothing," he rasped, "Go help the others."

Longshot hesitated for a second and then nodded. As if he were born navigating the fiery chaos he disappeared back into the swirling smoke and flames in search of the rest of their small group. Jet turned in the opposite direction, hoping to do the same. He scooped up his two hooked swords from where they had fallen, wincing as the warm feeling of the heated metal seeped through his gloved fingers.

It wasn't long before he realized that he had made a huge mistake.

The firebenders had not only been looking to destroy their group, but also to get information. To do that, they needed only one person and it would all be over for the freedom fighters.

It seemed that he had been the one singled out.

A ring of fire sprung up around him not long after Longshot left, boxing him in as four more firebenders stepped in to replace their fallen comrades.

A ball of fire lit up each of the benders hands as Jet crouched in a ready position. Already weak from the lack of air and extreme heat his hands shook as he tried to hold them up.

"Cornered and still so willing to fight, boy? Well," the leader of the four sneered, "it looks like you need to be taught a lesson. A burn should do it . . . right across the face I think, right boys?"

Jet felt his breath catch as an image of Sparks burned face and eye popped into his mind. Is this what had happened to the boy?

His temporary freeze-up made it so he didn't notice the fireball until it was too late. Jet's eyes widened as he threw himself to the side, knowing that he would not be able to get out of the way in time. As he hit the ground on his side Jet clenched his teeth, expecting to feel a burning pain in his side from being brushed by the flames, but it never came.

Looking back at the firebenders Jet froze, staring as the ball of fire was elegantly swept away from him by a gust of air just as it was about to engulf him. Disbelieving, his eyes darted to the side where, from the corner of his eyes, he saw a flicker of movement. In the trees, perched as if he belonged there even with the burning branches all around him, he saw Sparks, who had already turned from him to jump down among the firebenders. Dancing in and out of the enemy as if he had done it his entire life Sparks made it look easy, swatting away their attacks with his dual swords like it was nothing.

This . . . this was not something he had expected. Firebending, yes, he had been expecting and planned for, but not this. In fact, Jet wasn't even sure of what he had seen.

Looking closer, though, Jet could see the influence of air surrounding sparks, the subtle gusts of wind that would nudge the fire ever so slightly to the side or make it look like it was reflected back by the swords. The sight was both unbelievable and revealing, at least to Jet.

Somehow, someway, Sparks was an airbender. He was an airbender . . . who looked like a firebender.

Before the thought could fully settle in Jet's mind blackness crept up on him, the heat and smoke taking their toll and sending him spiraling into unconsciousness.

0~o~0

Zuko knew that he was being careless with his bending, but he also had no choice.

The first person that he had come across upon reaching the camp was Jet, who looked out of it. The Freedom Fighter leader's eyes were dilated and his short, shallow breaths indicated that he had inhaled too much smoke. Zuko knew the feeling well. The fact that Jet was still standing, and facing off against four benders with only his swords, was a testament to his determination and pain tolerance.

When the boy had been unable to get out of the way of a fireball, however, Zuko had been forced to step in and deflect it. He couldn't, _wouldn't, _allow another to suffer at the hands of his people when he could prevent it.

And so, with a breath of apprehension and a glance at Jet, Zuko swirled his hand and pushed them forward in one fluid move, pushing the flames back at their surprised owners and then jumping down into the aftermath to finish off the rest of them.

He really hoped that Jet was too out of it to realized just _what_ Zuko was bending.

It would be better to be thought of as a firebender then as an airbender. It was what he had lived his entire life around, and it was what he would continue to do. Life as a firebender was far safer than life as an airbender.

If rumors of an airbender got out, the Fire Nation would spare no expenses in killing him, banished prince or not.

His thoughts drifted as he fought the firebenders, bringing them down one by one without much trouble. These soldiers were barely trained and had nothing on his trainers back in the Fire Nation.

At least here he didn't have to be so wary of blue fire.

By the time he was done the fire had taken on a wild state and was burning freely, no longer controlled by the benders. Glancing back at Jet, who he found was unconscious, and making sure that no one else was around to see him, Zuko closed his eyes and raised his hands, letting them hover in the air for a moment as he gathered the air, pulling everything away from the flames and choking them to the point that they died down and extinguished.

No fire could burn without air.

Fire under control, Zuko made his way to Jet to make sure that the other was ok before he moved on to find the others.

Hopefully they were ok.

0~o~0

By the time they had all made it back to the treetop camp they were exhausted but victorious. Jet's limp form was left in his hut for him to recover as the rest of them left to celebrate.

Zuko found a quiet place, away from the chaos, so that he could settle into meditation, something which he had neglected in his time traveling.

He was grateful that no one had noticed him bending.

0~o~0

It had been a week since the disastrous raid and Jet was still trying to wrap his head around his little discovery, of which he had not told anyone yet. He wondered if he ever would.

It was impossible, Jet knew. There were no airbenders left, not after the Fire Nation was done with them.

And yet the physical impossibility sat across from him, staring into the fire as he spoke to the younger children about far off lands and strange customs that he had seen. Sparks was nothing like Jet had expected when he had first met him. Yes, he was a fighter, but not in the way that he had first suspected.

Sparks was Fire Nation, there was no disguising the golden eyes and pale near-white skin, but at the same time he _wasn't_. There was just this feel about him that made the others trust the quiet, brooding boy that Jet refused to believe could have come from someone whose homeland was the Fire Nation.

Then there were the swords. They were both identical and obviously well crafted and cared for. Sparks also clearly knew how to use them, and use them well. Jet had never seen their like before, and he had no idea from which country they had originated from.

Could it be possible that they were an airbender's weapon? Something that had been long lost in time and carried on through the generations? Just who _was _Sparks and where had he come from?

_There is another possibility,_ Jet contemplated as he turned his gaze to the flickering fire.

The airbenders had disappeared long ago. For one to appear so suddenly without any indication of anyone else with similar talents was hard to believe. Sparks was _defiantly_ a bender, but the question was, was he a _trained_ bender?

When he had seen Sparks fight, when he had seen the wind rushing in to brush away the flames, he had immediately thought 'airbender'. Sparks had the appearance of Fire Nation ancestry, however, and it was clear that he had been on the wrong side of a Fire Nation soldier before. How had an _airbender_ been born among _firebenders_? More importantly, how had an airbender managed to keep their talent hidden for years among people who would kill him as soon as they knew what he could do?

Unless he wasn't just an airbender . . .

Jet sucked in a sudden breath, coughing slightly as he inhaled smoke from the fire that had blown his way. Several of the children looked his way in concern but he paid them no mind in light of his sudden revelation.

_It's possible . . ._ Jet felt the stock of grain crumble inside of his fist in his surprise, _It would mean that both a waterbender and an earthbender would have died before realizing their potential, but is that so uncommon? It could have been anyone . . ._

_An airbender among firebenders. What better way to disguise themselves them by bending _fire? _Fire and Air; Earth and Water. _

_The Avatar. _

**_0~o~0_**

**Dun, dun, dun.**

**I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I've had really bad writers block lately and as such all of my stories are suffering, this one especially. **

**Thank you for all those who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Again, I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter. If this happens again, don't be afraid to yell at me, sometimes I need a reminder to look after my smaller stories. **

**Thanks for reading. **

**(Oh, and I fixed the spacing. It seems that it didn't like the symbols that I put between the change of P.O.V. didn't agree with this site.)**

**(Posted: 10/13/2015)**


	4. Earth, Fire, and Air

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last Airbender. **

**Pretending**

**Chapter 4**

_Earth, Fire, and Air_

It took several weeks before Jet was ready to really acknowledge and accept his observation.

There was no doubt in his mind, Sparks was the Avatar.

He had been watching the other closely, though he tried not to make it obvious, and he had noticed several things that he would have taken for granted before.

Whenever one of the children complained about the cold within earshot of Sparks, the fire would flare up just enough to shed more warmth on them. When it was too hot, wind would brush through their treetop camp gently, bringing a cool breeze with it. If no one was watching, Jet had seen Sparks sink into meditation, similar to a practice done by earthbenders but slightly different.

They were all clues. Clues pointing toward one thing: Sparks was the Avatar.

Now the question was: What was Jet going to do about it?

0~o~0

Zuko contemplated silently as he stared into the swirling dance of the flames in the fire pit. The colors twisted and stretched elegantly before disappearing as the reached to far from their source, the bright, burning coals. He had come to appreciate fire. It gave life and warmth. It was care and hearth.

But it also brought destruction, grief, desolation, and greed. He had seen it consume many Firebenders, their hunger for power driving them to do things that any other would find abominable.

Fire had two sides. Life and Death. It all depended on how you used it. One way equaled the care and protection of many, while the other brought only suffering. Like the flickering flames the emotions of Firebenders often burned brighter than any other people. If not carefully controlled those fires could kill anything in their path, and that was the problem with the Fire Nation. They were not in control. They did not bank the fire, but instead continued to feed it, turning it into an unstoppably, raging inferno.

There were some days that he wished that he had been born a Firebender. Days that he longed for his family who he had been forced to leave behind. Sometimes he would even ignite a flame over his palm and wonder what it would be like if he could actually _feel _the fire, instead of how it just _ate_ at the air around it_. _

And then he would remember what the Fire Nation had done, what fire had done to the people who had been blessed with it.

They didn't understand. There was both beauty and danger in fire. Safety and death. Everyone else only saw the aftermath.

"Bowl of soup for your thoughts?" Jet's voice startled Zuko out of his musings as he glanced up at the other boy.

Jet was carrying two bowls of slightly steaming stew, most likely the dinner that had been cooked up from whatever the traps had caught.

Zuko took one gratefully as well as the spoon as Jet settled down on the log opposite of him. There was silence for several moments before Jet shifted slightly. Zuko had noticed how jumpy he had been around him lately and wondered if he had done anything to make the other suspicious. A chill ran down his spin. He hoped not.

"So?" Jet asked, leaning forward slightly and making Zuko blink.

"So what?" Zuko had no idea what Jet was getting at, but it looked as if the other was expecting some kind of answer. With a start he realized that he and Jet were the only two around this fire pit.

"What were you thinking? It looked like you were lost in your mind, there," Jet replied, hesitated slightly as if he had been about to say something else.

Zuko debated with himself for a moment. Should he tell the other?

After several beats he sighed slightly and slouched, "I was thinking about fire."

Jet quirked a brow, as if the reply surprised him, which it probably did, "Fire?"

Zuko nodded, taking a sip of his soup, "It's just that, well," he took a deep breath, "No one sees fire for what it _is_. They only see what it can _do_. Even Firebenders are blind."

"And you can see?" Jet asked, a sense of intrigue in his voice, as if he weren't going to brush Zuko off, as if he actually wanted to hear his opinion.

Zuko shrugged, "Take this fire, for example. It is what keeps us warm at night, just like the sun keeps up warm in the day. It provides light so that we can see, and shadows that we may hide in."

"Shadows?"

"Um," Zuko turned his eyes away slightly, "Yah, without light, there can be no darkness. Without darkness there can be no light. Shadows are a production of both light and dark, fire and the absence of fire."

"And they make a good place for hiding," Jet said, his eyes suddenly lighting up in new understanding as he glanced over Zuko's dark clothing, "I'm guessing that you've had experience with that."

Zuko ignored that last comment, turning the thoughts that popped into his mind that that comment away. Now was not the time to be dwelling on the past.

_Hiding behind a curtain as his father asked the Fire Lord that he be made heir over his brother. The flickering shadows cast by the fire the only reason that they had not been seen yet . . ._

"The point is," Zuko continued, "Is that fire isn't everything that people think that it is. Yes, it destroys, it tears apart, it brings grief, but it also brings comfort, warmth, and hope," he paused, heat creeping onto his cheeks as he realized that he had been ranting, "and, well, I guess that you didn't really understand that."

Jet shook his head, but there was a contemplating look on his face, "Not all of it, no, but your words deserve consideration," Jet stood up, stretching slightly and holding his hand out for Zuko to take.

"If you even need to talk again, Sparks, don't be afraid to come to me."

As Zuko walked away to wash his bowl and put it with the rest he couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. 

0~o~0

"Can you bend?" Jet asked spontaneously one day as he and Zuko were perched on a large branch, watching the road for any firebenders that might come their way.

Zuko was so startled that he nearly tumbled off of the branch, "What?"

Jet shrugged, "It's just, your talk about fire and how people see it was very passionate. I could help but think that only someone who _knew_ fire would be able to describe it in such detail, so differently from everyone else."

"Oh," Zuko blinked owlishly for a moment.

"So are you?" Jet asked again, turned his piercing gaze on the other, "A fire bender, I mean?"

There was silence for a moment before Zuko replied with a soft, but honest, "No."

The topic wasn't brought up again.

0~o~0

_What is the best way to hide among firebenders? Bend fire. _

_What is the best way to hide in the Earth_ _Kingdom when your features are those of the Fire Nation? Be a non-bender. They are not a threat, most of the time, and beneath other people and benders' notice._

Jet's eyes narrowed in thought as his gaze turned to their resident golden-eyed comrade.

_To do otherwise would mean death, from both sides. _

0~o~0

Sparks approached Jet while he was talking with his inner circle. Jet dismissed them and turned to talk to him, his eyes curious.

Sparks took a deep breath as if to steady himself and stood straighter, "It is time for me to move on."

Jet paused and then nodded. He had seen this coming. His and the band's journey may be here, in the tree tops hunting down stray firebenders, but Sparks had yet to find where he belonged.

No questions were asked and Jet gave his permission.

One couldn't hold another from their destiny, after all.

0~o~0

"You don't have to go, you know," Jet said, gripping the hand offered to him with sorrowful eyes. Even he had come to like Sparks over the last few months. The rest of the camp was gathered behind him, all there to send the young man off.

Sparks shook his head and smiled slightly, his eyes tired, "I know. It's just . . . this isn't _home._"

He understood. He really did. Loosing a home, a family, left one adrift, searching for something that one could never get back. It left a gaping hole where there had once been companionship. Jet understood this all too well, as it had happened to him too, but probably not to the extent of what had happened to Sparks. The band of children had managed to sooth that ache left behind, but it wasn't what the boy was searching for.

That and Jet suspected that Sparks had other reasons to leave.

From what he had seen Sparks knew only firebending and a little bit of airbending. He still had water and earth to learn and would need a teacher.

It was something that the band of children could not provide and as much as Jet wished that Sparks would stay, he knew that the other had responsibilities elsewhere.

He had stayed hidden for too long to be recognized.

"I understand," Jet nodded, letting go of the hand and stepping back respectfully, "Just know that if you ever need anything, we will be there."

Sparks hesitated, a slight, rare smile turning the corners of his lips slightly and crinkling the sides of his eyes, "Thank you."

He nodded respectfully to the rest of the band and then turned and began to walk away, the forest swallowing him up as he melted into the falling darkness.

A Fire Nation boy born with the powers of the Avatar and an outcast from his own people.

Jet couldn't help but feel that he had made the right choice.

0~o~0

Zuko didn't know where he was supposed to go after he left Jet and the rest of the Freedom Fighters. He had no plan, no direction, only his feelings and the way the wind pushed him.

He certainly hadn't expected to meet a young blind girl while seeking shelter in a cave not even a month later and getting encased from neck down in a mound of earth.

"Well, this is unexpected," Zuko said, blinking in slight confusion as he looked down at the girl's tinny form. She couldn't have been more than nine years old.

She crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl, her eyes unfocused as they stared at a spot just to the side of his head, "You said it twinkle toes. This is _my _cave."

Zuko's eyes narrowed, "Twinkle toes?"

"Yah," she stamped her foot, a chair forming out of the earth behind her as she sat down, "Cause you're so light on your feet I couldn't sense you until you popped up behind me. So, yes, _Twinkle Toes._"

_Why does everyone insist in calling me names according to my characteristics? _

"Moral of the story: Don't sneak up on you, even when not trying to. Got it," Zuko replied, "Can you let me go now?"

She leaned back a laugh on her lips, "Let you go? I think I like you, Twinkle toes," if she could see her eyes would have been sparkling with mischief, "but, no, I am _not _going to let you go. You caused it, you get out of it."

Zuko felt like scowling. Why did these things _always _happen to him?

"By the way, my name is Toph."

There was silence for several moments as a look of concentration crossed over Zuko's face. Slowly, carefully, he reached out to the air around him, searching.

If he could do it with fire, than why not earth?

He found was he was looking for.

The ridged structure of earth hold him capture trembled for a moment before disintegrating to nothing more than sand around his feet. Zuko grinned as he stepped away from the somewhat razed pile of dirt that had surrounded him, enjoying her baffled expression.

"And I go by Lee."

**0~o~0**

**I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. It took me quite a while to get it written. **

**I am sorry for the amount of time that it takes to update some of my stories. I don't plan on abandoning any of them, but I find that if I want to update anything I have to go with the story that my idea generator is currently producing ideas for. In other words, the factory for this story isn't working very well and I need ideas from an outside source. Something original? I like to take well used ideas and . . . ****_twist_**** them, as can be seen in my other story ****They're Us**. **Common theme, dimensional travel, and same characters, but a little assumption and ****_boom_****, big misunderstanding the likes that has never been written in that section of fanficiton!**

**So yes, I'm hoping to a good twist to throw in here, and soon. If you don't like having to check this story so often without gratification of another chapter, than stick it in your bookmarks or save the location somewhere where you can easily find it again when the fancy hits you. It's what I do. **

**Another thing that I am going to be doing is book recommendation. I have seen other author's doing it and have found it interesting so I'm going to try it out myself. The book for this update is ****The Rule of Three**** by****_ Eric Walters. _****It is one of my favorite books and sucks you right in. Oh, and it's ****_not _****a fanfiction story, just a warning. Just imagine it, though, ****_everything_**** with computers shuts down, how long until society crumbles and the ideals that we hold so high are tossed aside in the rising panic? Who will survive? Will they want to?**

**If you like dystopian novels then ****_read it._**** It is amazing. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you continue to follow this story!**

**Review?**

**(Updated: 12/8/15)**


	5. Tournament

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. **

**You can all thank my most recent Guest review for this chapter. I already had it mostly written and planned out, but I haven't looked at it for a while. **

**THERE IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CHAPTER CONCERNING THE CONINUATION OF THE STORY. PLEASE READ IT. **

**Pretending**

**Chapter 5**

_**Tournament**_

Toph was not one to be surprised very often, in fact it hardly ever happened. So, when the strange kid not only got out of her trap but _disintegrated it_, well, she could not help but lean back in surprise.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises, twinkle toes," she huffed, her mind spinning with possibilities.

Just who was this kid? She hadn't even been able to feel when the bent the earth and that was saying something. He hadn't even _twitched. _A grin slowly made its way over her face.

"I _really_ like you now, twinkle toes."

The other shifted as his heartbeat sped up, "Um, ok? I'm just going to be leaving now . . ."

The kid turned to flee the cave, likely taking her grin as something to be afraid of.

As he _should_.

"Oi, hold up," Toph said, crossing her arms and stomping on the ground, causing the earth to rise up in front of him and block off the entrance to the cave, "Not so fast, twinkle toes."

Toph could almost hear the others groan as she grinned.

"What, did you think that I was just going to let you go after that show of bending back there?"

Her foreboding smirk did not give her companion confidence.

0~o~0

"Mom! Dad! Guess what! I just made a new friend!" The blind gild in a green dress called as she made her way into the throne like room that her parents were in. Behind her a dark haired, dusty boy was stumbling as he tried to twist his wrist out of her delicate grip.

Or not so delicate, as it were.

Zuko winced thankfully as the younger let his hand go. He snatched it back and rubbed the sore bones, which almost seemed to click together ominously as he did so.

Who knew that such a little thing had so much strength?

He glanced up just in time to see the disapproving and slightly confused faces of the girls parents go blank as they hid there surprise.

"Really dear," her mother asked, on eyebrow angled upwards, "A new friend? Where did you meet him?"

The dark brown eyes drilling into his own light gold ones were making Zuko feel like he was little more than unwanted dirt on her floor.

Toph, the little girl, smiled innocently (how she was able to pull off that look after her display with him earlier he had no idea) and grabbed his hand again, "Well, you see, I wanted to come home because the earthbending class was let out early today due to an accident, but my escort didn't come and I was scared, so I tried to come home on my own-"

"Your class got let out early?" her father frowned disapprovingly, "Where was your teacher? Shouldn't he have brought you back?"

Toph shrugged, "He was the one to stopped the class and had to leave."

"Hmm," her father's knuckles whitened and Zuko suddenly felt sorry for Toph's teacher.

(And for the fact that she was probable setting the unknown teacher up. What had they done to her anyway?)

"Continue. How _did_ you meet this . . . friend of yours?" her father asked, his eyes flicking over Zuko's form, making the latter unconsciously straightened his back.

Toph's grip tightened and Zuko had to hold back a wince as she spoke, "I was wandering around trying to get home and some boys started teasing me, but Li came along and scared them off. I asked him how to get home and he showed me!"

_Lier,_ Zuko thought, trying to gently pull his hand away from Toph's without losing a few fingers, if only to get her father's dangerous eyes off of him. _You're the one who dragged me here. _

Dark eyes narrowed even further, this time in contemplation, "And he didn't do anything to hurt you?"

Toph shook her head.

Suddenly the man relaxed, a slightly easier smile on his face even as his eyes gleamed in contemplation.

"Very well. He may stay for as long as he wishes, in gratitude for helping my daughter."

From Toph expression she had gotten exactly what she wanted.

Zuko wasn't so sure that this was a good idea.

0~o~0

"Stand _still_, Twinkle Toes! It's not like I'm going to mash your head to pulp or anything!"

Zuko yelped and ducked as a boulder came flying toward his head grumbling a soft, "Yah, right, and I'm a full blown firebender," under his breath.

He had been staying with the Be Fong's for almost two months now and this was not how he had expected to spend his fifteenth birthday. While Toph was nice enough (so long as one didn't anger her) her parents gave him the chills. He could almost feel them plotting something behind his back.

That and Toph was determined to make him the best earthbender in the world (besides her, of course) and he wasn't sure what to think. He had not planned to stay in the area for more than a few days, and yet here he was, still trapped by the crazy little earthbender and her scheming parents.

With his luck, they were planning a marriage contract.

"Again! Stop dodging Twinkle Toes, or I'll hit you where it hurts!"

Zuko winced, becoming aware of his situation just in time to thrust his hand out and stop the rock midair by halting the tinny air particles inside of it. It was a lot harder than it looked for an airbender. Air was meant to be free, ready to move and dance, but earth was hard and unmoving, as was the air inside of it. He had to concentrate a lot harder to find the air in the rock than with fire. It made an interesting contrast, and was also why it was so much harder for him to work with rocks instead of dirt. The dirt had a higher content of air in it than a rock it, so it was easier to move and control.

If he was being honest, Zuko would have rather curved the air _around_ the rock, rather than the air _inside_ of it. But, according to his luck, he was working with a _blind _girl. Maybe he could have gotten away with it if she could see, but as she was blind she paid more attention to her surroundings, what she _felt_, instead of what she could see. Therefore, misplaced wind gusts? Not going to be looked over. He wasn't about to give up his identity just yet.

How ironic. He was the last airbender (any other would have been caught by now, he was sure) but he had already proved himself to be an adequate firebender _and _earthbender.

At this rate, people would start to think that he was the Avatar, which he certainly _was not_.

The one saving grace that he had was that Toph's parents didn't know about her teaching him. At least his ability to bend hadn't been exposed yet, though her father had already tested his strength in swords. In a world at war, pretending to be a non-bender was safer than being one, as it meant that he was unlikely to get drafted . . . to _either side_.

Agni, what a mess his life was.

"Good, Twinkle Toes! You halted _one_ rock!" Toph shouted as he let the floating boulder drop. Her smirk sent chills down his spin, "Let's see how you do against _two_."

Zuko flinched and then dropped into a crouch, just as the two boulders collided with each other where his head had been moments before and hit with enough force that they crumbled on impact.

Toph's angry growl made Zuko groan.

How long did he have to wait until he could sneak away?

0~o~0

_Five months later . . ._

"And here comes our last year champion, The Blind Bandit! And her companion, the mysterious _Sightless Swordsman!_" the announcer shouted, his voice rumbling across the stadium even as Zuko winced and tugged at the blindfold around his eyes.

"You'll do _fine_ Twinkle Toes," Toph said cheerfully from his left, "Just remember to listen to the earth before you make your move. Let you opponent strike first. Figure out their tactics, and then _strike!_"

Zuko groaned, "Why do I have to do this again?"

Toph grinned, though Zuko could not physically see it, and said, "Because if you make it to the final round than it will mean that you are a full fledged Master of Earthbending!"

"And I won't have to deal with you anymore," Zuko muttered, though there was a hint of fondness in his voice. The little earthbender had grown on him, though he would never voluntarily have been her student, knowing or unknowing of her brutal teaching tactics. Toph had made a deal with him that if he could beat all of the other earthbenders except her than she would conclude their training and let him leave (with the extracted promise that he would come back to visit).

He had readily agreed. To tell the truth, she was probably pushing for this because she had overheard her parents 'plans' for her and Zuko and decided that it was time to get him out of their sight.

Possible suitors were never a good thing in her sight, even if they were her friend.

Zuko was just grateful for a way out.

"So I just have to beat all of them?" Zuko asked, again adjusting his blindfold only to have Toph whack his hands away.

"Don't touch that! A _real_ blind person would not even realize that it was there! And, yes, you have to beat them all."

Zuko sighed.

"Fist into the ring is the Blind Bandit and _the Fire Nation Man!"_

This time Zuko snorted and shook his head. "Who comes up with these names?"

Toph only smiled sweetly and walked out of the side room to face her opponent, who was already being chased off of the ring by angry fans.

That was to be expected, though. Who named themselves the _Fire Nation Man _in an _Earthkingdom _fight? A stupid one, that's who.

There would probably be a few broken bones by the time that Toph was done with him.

Zuko settled back to wait his turn.

0~o~0

"And now, the match we have all been waiting for!"

Zuko stepped up onto the arena, feeling his bare foot slid over loose gravel from some of the previous fights. Under his blindfold his golden eyes flicked back and forth nervously and his hands trembled as he expanded his 'earth-sense' (which meant that he was feeling the vibrations of the air in the ground as well as around him, but Toph didn't know that) as far as he could. His 'sight' reached to about the other edge of the arena, which is where it became slightly blurry, but he could work with that.

"Tonight we have been bedazzled by fights between some of our greatest competitors, but I have been assured that they are all _nothing_ compared to the one before us! Ladies and Gentlemen, our next match is between the _mysterious_ Sightless Swordsman and The Boulder! Let the Fight begin!" the announcer shouted.

Zuko shifted his weight to the side, feeling the slight breeze as something large came whizzing past where he had been standing moments before. The ground rumbled ever so slightly under his feet, indicating that some of the rock had been gouged out and used as a projectile.

"How dare you dodge! I am the Boulder! The Boulder will not be defeated!" his opponent shouted, unknowingly giving away his exact position.

_There you are._

Zuko shuffled his feet and reached deep into the Earth below him, feeling the rumble as things began to shift, _move. _

"You're blindness will be you're downfall, for you will not see The Boulder's attacks – ack!"

Zuko smiled in satisfaction when the earth beneath the Boulder's feet split open and the larger man (Zuko could tell by the way the air and earth was vibrating as he moved and stomped around) caught the edge of the open crevice just in time.

"You can not defeat the Boulder with petty tricks! The Boulder will crush you like the pebble you are!"

Zuko raised his arms dramatically, almost _feeling_ the intake of air the stadium held as people leaned forward in their seats. In contrast to what most people were probably expecting, Zuko brought his hands together in a gentle clap, and the earth snapped back together, completely surrounding the other Earthbender except for his head.

"The Boulder is . . . defeated?" the downed man muttered in his booming voice. Zuko could practically _see _the other's bewildered face.

"And our winner is . . . The Sightless Swordsman!"

Zuko really hoped that all of his opponents wouldn't be this easy to defeat. If they were, well, then the standards of modern earth benders really was lacking . . . or maybe Toph set the bar too high.

Knowing her, it was most likely the latter.

0~o~0

The final match ended as expected, with Zuko lying on the ground. His clothing torn and dusty, (except for his blindfold ironically, but from the way she fought Toph _purposefully _missed that part of him, for once) and his chest heaving as he sucked in as much air as he could get.

"We have our champion! Give it up for . . . _the Blind Bandit!"_

_Yah, yah, you don't have to rub it in. Everyone can see the outcome. _

"You ok there, twinkle toes?" Toph grinned as she looked down at him, not that he could see that.

Zuko just groaned and wondered if he could sink into the ground. It gave a warning rumble under him and he decided that it wasn't a good idea. He accepted the hand she offered to him and pulled himself up, giving a slightly harder than necessary tug. She didn't even budge.

"Let's just go back," he muttered, throwing the trailing edges of his blindfold over his shoulder and glaring sightlessly at the cheering crowd."

Toph laughed and stomped her foot. The ground open up under them and they vanished from sight. The travel back was silent for the most part, Toph basking in her win and Zuko still wincing over his newfound bruises. When they were almost back to her house, however, Toph stopped and turned to Zuko, making him pause as well.

"Hey, Li?" she asked softly.

Zuko straightened, "Yah, Toph?"

". . . I knew you could do it."

". . . Thanks."

They continued on, the silence slightly more awkward. Zuko was the one to break it this time, sensing what was wrong.

"How does next year sound?" he asked casually, tilting his head in her direction.

"What?" Toph startled.

"I did promise that I'd come back and visit. This time, next year? I might even be good enough to beat you."

He couldn't see it, but he knew that Toph was grinning. The air practically radiated her happiness.

"You're on!"

0~o~0

Toph's father looked slightly disappointed as he stood to wish Zuko a good journey. His elegant robe and stiff posture looked out of place next to Zuko's relaxed figure and dirty traveling clothing.

"Are you sure that you can't stay for longer?" Toph's mother requested politely, "It's not often that our little girl makes such a good friend."

_And a potential suitor,_ Zuko thought sarcastically, but didn't say. Instead he smiled softly and bowed, "I have already stayed too long as it is, My Lord and Lady. I am a wanderer, you see. Thank you for letting me stay for as long as I did. I hope to be able to come back and visit, maybe even bring back some of the things that I find in my travels for your wonderful daughter."

Toph's parents exchanged looks and her father inclined his head slightly as her mother's face softened. She turned back to Zuko with a soft smile, "That would be wonderful."

Zuko bowed again, "Until we meet again, My Lord, My Lady."

"Have a safe journey," the elder man said smoothly.

Zuko withheld a grin until he made it past the gates. His time spent with the Beifong's was well spent, in his opinion.

He paused once at the cave he'd met Toph in and then continued on, leaving a single small dagger at its entrance for Toph to find, nearly grinning as he imagined her reaction.

Toph may not agree, but Zuko's philosophy was that no matter how good a bender you are a good dagger here and there doesn't hurt. It was his way of saying 'thank you'.

**0~o~0**

**I hadn't realized until just recently that I am becoming severely limited in my time. In the next few months I will be slowly pulling away from fanfiction as my life starts to really pick up. I am not sure if I will be able to finish this story, or most of my other stories, in the time period that I am giving myself. I also think that I am severely overestimating the amount of time that I ****_do_**** have. **

**I ****_will_**** try to finish all of my published stories; however in the event that I do not some of them will be going up for adoption some time around August. In preparation for this, I am also putting all of my story ****_idea's _****up for adoption, that means all of the ideas I've thought up for fanfiction. I have almost six ****_pages_**** of just ****_Summaries_**** right now and I'm not even half way through organizing it all. **

**IF YOU WANT TO ADOPT OR LOOK AT THE STORY IDEAS I HAVE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION PLEASE REFER TO MY PROFILE. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY OF MY STORIES THAT ARE ALREADY PUBLISHED ON FANFICTION. Starting next week I should have the list up. If anyone wants to request anything before then PM me. I will be putting this notice on all of my stories. **

**Thank you for you time. **

**Review?**

**(Updated: 3/4/17)**


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